Umakoti usuka kubo ezintathakusa ehamba namantombazane angakubo, basuke beya lapho intombi izoshadela khona sekulotsholiwe kwenziwa konke. Kusuke kuyilanga lokuthi ihlatshelwe inkomo lapho ishadela khona. Basuke sebazi kubo kamkhwenyane ukuthi umakoti uyeza kodwa bengasazi isikhathi azofika ngaso.
Umakoti nomthimba bavuka ekuseni kakhulu ngoba basuke befuna ukuthi kube yibo abazobavusa. Kuzwakala ngengoma isisho egcekeni kuyikhona bevuka-ke kamkhwenyane. Ngemuva kwalokho bayaphuma abakamakoti egcekeni bayolinda eqeleni ngaphansi kwesihlahla. Uma sebevukile emzini nomthimba waphuma abakamkhwenyane bahambisa imbuzi lapho eqeleni. Iyahlatshwa imbuzi leyo, iphekwe bese idliwa khona eqeleni lapho ekulinde khona umakoti. Kufanele idliwe iphele leyombuzi.
Uma sebeqedile ukudla, umakoti uyashintsha abhince isidwaba kuthi abamphelezelayo nabo bavunule ngendlela yabo bese beyosina esigcawini esingaphandle komuzi wakwamkhwenyane. Kuzothi kusasinwa bese kufike iphoyisa lenkosi libaxoshe, ngalesosikhathi kusuke sekuzohlatshwa inkomo futhi yilapho ekufanele basuke ngamajubane balibhekise emzini lowo. Kusuke kufuneka ozogijima kakhulu afike avale emnyango wasendlini enkulu. Lowo muntu ofike kuqala uma engowakamakoti kumele kube nemali abamnika yona, kodwa uma kungowa kamkhwenyana ofike kuqala ayikho imali ekhishwayo.
Ukusina kukamakoti
Umakoti usuka nommese kubo okuyiwo asina ngawo esigcawini. Yiwona osetshenziswa ukuhlaba inkomo. Bese egiya ngomkhonto awunikezwe emzini kwakhe. Uma isihlatshwa inkomo kuqokwa umuntu owaziwayo ukuthi uyalazi inxeba lenkomo ngabasemzini. Lapho kusuke kuculwa sengathi kuyancintiswana abakubo kamakoti nabakamkhwenyana. Abanye basuke bethi inkomo ayife abanye bethi ayivuke. Lokho kusho ukuthi uma inkomo ingafanga ngenxeba lokuqala kukhona imali ezotholwa ngabakamakoti.
Uma ingawanga ulokhu eyizama njalo kuze kube iyawa, lapho kube sekubalwa amanxeba ukuthi iwe isihlabeke kangaki. Kwezinye izindawo inxeba ngalinye bathi liyikhulu lamarandi. Kusuke kudlalwa kumnandi. Lemali inikezwa izintombi eziphelezele umakoti ukuthi zithenge ezikuthandayo.
Umakoti kubo usuke ehlatshelwe inkabi bese kuthi imanzi ayihlatshelwe emzini. Uma kwenzekile zaphambana njengokuthi kungabi imanzi ehlatshwayo kufanele kubikwe emsamo lokho ngesikhathi kubikwa umcimbi ozokwenzeka. Umakoti uyabikwa kubo kamkhwenyana kubikelwa izidalwa zakhona yilapho athelwa ngenyongo yembuzi khona. Uthelwa emunweni wokukhomba esandleni sesinxele bese enza sakukhotha lapho bemthele khona, bese bemthela nasonyaweni lwasohlangothini lwesinxele, bese ekuhlikihla emlenzeni. Nakubo lapho izalwa khona intombazane nakhona isuke ihlatshiwe imbuzi ngesikhathi ephuma bebika nabo, kodwa abamtheli ngenyongo. Kodwa isikhwama senyongo yiso achonywa sona enkehlini ayithwele.
Ummese lona asuke efike nawo evela kubo umakoti, abasemzini bayawuthatha bawubeke, sewuyosebenza uma kunomcimbi futhi kusuke sekuwuphawu lokuthi umakoti usengayidla inyama yasemzini. Kubalulekile ukuthi ummese abenawo awuthengelwe kubo ngoba kusho ukuthi yena akasoze wayithinta inyama uyohlala alinde abanye omakoti ukuthi bamsikele uma kudliwa.
English Summary
In Zulu culture there are processes and traditions that are followed after a new bride arrives at her in-laws’ homestead, like the kind of food she is allowed to eat and when. It is a tradition that before the wedding starts the groom’s family should slaughter a cow to welcome the new bride. On arrival that morning she should bring a knife that she uses when she is doing a traditional dance. The same knife is used to slaughter the cow. Then they give her a small spear that she is going to use when she does her traditional dance as a new wife. This knife symbolises that the new bride should start eating meat because she brought her own knife to cut it with. If she doesn’t bring the knife it means every time there is a ceremony she must wait for other co-wives to cut the meat so that she can eat.
By: Nelisiwe Hlongwane